End of Time Series: Here There Be Dragons
by Wander101
Summary: Part of what will hopefully be a series of one-shots/two-shots taken from in-game events. The war against Airyglyph reaches its peak. Dangers can come in all forms and from every direction. Mostly friendship. Maybe more if you squint hard enough.
1. Here There Be Dragons

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Star Ocean.

Title: End of Time Series: Here There Be Dragons.

Chapter: 1 of ?

Author's Notes: So I meant to collect a few loosely connected one-shots together into a bigger work and work in some post game chapters here and there. But writer's block can be a bitch. So I'm just going to post what gets done when it gets done. Plus I'd like to add another chapter to this one down the road.

Sorry, still no beta.

* * *

"I shall crush your soul."

As over the top as that was, Cliff had to give Vox some credit. The man fought tirelessly, his lance an extension of his arm. Even as he threatened them, Vox came at him with another flurry of lance thrusts. Cliff dodged when he could, gave ground when he couldn't. Vox's moves were like any of the other dragon riders they'd faced. But it was becoming painfully apparent, literally, why he was the commander of the Dragon Brigade.

Vox was better with his lance, his combinations faster and tighter. More than that was his control over his dragon. Said dragon, Tempest, easily dwarfed every other dragon they'd fought or seen. The pair moved as one unit, never off balance, and their speed (dragon and rider) was impressive. The openings were there. After every missed swing or thrust. Cliff just couldn't exploit them. Tempest was constantly moving, either laterally or rising into the air, opening up to much ground for him to cover.

They'd scored a few hits. They'd taken a few as well. Cliff was as confident as ever. They could win this. They _would_ win this. But the progress was slow. Vox was making them fight for every inch, forcing them into more conservative attack patterns.

Also, Cliff hated southpaws.

Cliff backed off as much as he could and drew on his inner reserves. As Vox closed the gap the Klausian formed a glowing sphere of destructive energy in the air above him. The energy pulsed in his veins, took shape, and grew.

Too slow. Before the attack was fully formed the dragon rider had wheeled away from him, avoiding the worst of it.

Fortunately, Cliff wasn't alone.

As Vox edged around his failed attack, Fayt was airborne and delivered a vicious two handed slice with his bastard sword. The blue haired swordsman, having abandoned any thought of hitting the rider, drove the end of his sword into the dragon's side. The beast roared, whirled on the new enemy, and for the first time in the battle Vox had to regain control over it.

Cliff burst forward with a quick combo, doubling down on the beast's injured flank. They'd fought and killed enough dragons to have a rough idea of their anatomy. Fayt's plan was a no brainer. They'd used it on plenty of other dragon riders. Focus on the trunk of the animal. Damage its wings, shoulders, or lungs. Anything that might limit its mobility.

Take the dragon out of the equation.

Cliff landed four solid blows but had to abandon his attack before doing any major damage. Again, Vox recovered quickly. A swipe of the dragon's tail forced him back. A series of lance thrusts forced him away. The combined reach of dragon and rider was putting him at a serious disadvantage.

The dragon reared back its head. Cliff was expecting another round of dragonfire when Vox pivoted, weapon raised protectively. Cliff saw a stream of ice shards slam into him. But the Captain of the Dragon Brigade was ready and blocked most of the projectiles with his lance. The few that got through only enraged him.

"Tempest rise", he roared and the dragon understood, breaking away from Cliff and charging across the battlefield directly at Nel. Whatever hatred he felt towards the two off-worlders was nothing compared to the hate he felt for the Aquarian.

Cliff raced to catch up. Fayt was in front and pulling away. The kid was quick. Although he could hit the weight room a little more often. But the dragon was closing far too fast.

Nel sidestepped one strike cleanly. Then another, not so cleanly. She backpedaled. Vox bore down on her. Nel threw herself forward and underneath the dragon's snapping jaws.

Fayt was six strides ahead when he suddenly stopped. There wasn't time to question it. Tempest was already turning, tracking Nel as she rolled. Cliff barreled past Fayt just as he felt the telltale hum of symbology in the air. (Klausians had such a poor grasp of symbology he practically had to be on top of the spell to sense it.) Vox must have felt it too, ignoring Nel for the moment and bracing himself against the newest threat.

A stream of electrical energy tore across the battlefield. And where Vox had hoped to parry the attack, much like Nel's earlier barrage, he found himself with a lightning rod in his hands. He grit his teeth against the assault, hunching over awkwardly as every muscle in his left side seized at once. Not a fatal blow or even a major one. But it hurt him, bought them time.

And there was an opening.

Cliff launched himself into the air with all his considerable strength. At the peak of his flight, nearly level with the rider, he drove both fists into the dragon's back in a focused explosion of spiritual force. He felt scales tear and bones break under his might even as the dragon's screams drowned out the sound.

Tempest screeched then lashed out at him with its tail almost faster than the eye could follow, landing squarely against his chest. But Cliff's last strike must have taken something out of the beast. He'd taken harder punches. The dragon screeched again and then like all wounded animals fought back ferociously.

Unlike most wounded animals it was capable of breathing fire in every direction.

The dragon thrashed wildly, its wings fanning the already intense flames, and he lost sight of Nel. The heat and the smoke stung his eyes. Cliff backed off and waited for a chance to drive Vox away from her. For first time in the entire battle Vox wasn't pushing the attack, content to let the dragon rampage. Allowing the flames keep them at bay while he dealt with the Aquarian.

Fayt, as he often did, charged ahead. Slicing through the flames with his blade covered in a sheet of ice, the supernatural cold dispelling the dragonfire in his wake. He never knew Fayt could do that. But no one was more surprised than Vox. Fayt made two quick cuts into the dragon's side, ripping through the scales with surprising ease. Tempest roared and lunged for him awkwardly. Fayt dodged the clumsy attack and managed a defensive slice before Vox finally regained control of his mount.

Cliff felt the wave of symbological force before he saw it. Another burst of electricity arced towards Vox. Fayt was busy fending off the dragon's gaping maw, meaning that at least Nel was alive. The electrical attack, once again, proved effective. But Vox wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Knowing he couldn't block it, he was already pulling on the dragon's reigns. As the second bolt hit him, he forced Tempest up and back, opening up the distance between them.

Cliff didn't give chase this time, taking the opportunity to regroup. He was fine. A few bumps and bruises but nothing that would slow a Klausian down. He gave the others a quick once over. Fayt, as scrawny as he was, was holding up well. Wearing heavy armor and using a longer blade, he was the best equipped for this kind of scrum. Although there was no way to tell how much spiritual energy he had left.

Nel was the worst off. She was lucky to be alive after that close call. As skilled a fighter as she was Nel was more fragile than she wanted to admit. (She was _exactly_ as fragile as a normal Elicoorian wearing light armor would be against a dragon. And she would never admit it. Typical female ego, Cliff supposed.) The young woman was favoring her right side, something she normally wouldn't reveal to an enemy. But she was still standing, both weapons drawn. Hurting but still in the fight. Fayt was next to her, his hands glowing with symbological energy.

Vox looked no worse for wear but his dragon definitely did**. **Tempest hovered at eye level but looked unsteady and its last attacks had lost their edge. They'd definitely gotten the better of that exchange. What's more they'd forced Vox to withdraw first. They knew it. And he knew it.

Not bad at all.

Vox dragged the back of his sleeve across his mouth. "You put up a nice fight. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Something told Cliff that wasn't just empty bravado. He wasn't about to start underestimating Vox now. In his peripheral vision he saw Fayt and Nel moving apart, flanking the dragon rider.

Time for a witty one liner.

"Go screw yourself", he shouted.

Perfect.

Whatever pathetic retort Vox had was forgotten as everyone found themselves cast in shadows. Cliff looked skyward just as the distinct silhouette of a Vendeeni battleship emerged from the clouds. Then as if it knew exactly where to find its objective (for all he knew, they did), it took position directly over their battlefield.

Then it was just a massacre.

* * *

Him and his big mouth.

"_I know what they're after."_

Nice one Cliff. At least he hadn't spelled it out for the kid.

"_They'll catch you!"_

Until he went ahead and spelled it out for the kid.

In retrospect, he could have handled things better. He just never expected Fayt to flip out. Okay, not entirely true. He sorta had. A lot had happened to him lately. The Vendeeni attacks, crashing landing on a primitive planet, crash landing on another primitive planet, a round of torture.

But then Fayt had met Mirage, Nel, and Clair, some seriously hot chicks. So, definite upside. Anyway, he'd figured Fayt might have a breakdown at some point. Especially once he met Maria (add one more to the hot list) and all the cards were on the table. But not in the "rip a starship out of the sky with your bare hands" kinda way.

He knew what Maria could do. She'd taken out a Federation warship herself. But she needed the Diplo to do it!

Which explained why Cliff was staring at Fayt's unconscious body, dumbfounded, in the middle of a battlefield that was now essentially a mass grave. Funny, a few minutes ago he was worried how much the kid had left in the tank!

Should anyone, any one man, have that kind of power?

Deciding that there were better ways to use his time than standing around with his thumb up his ass, Cliff tried to take stock of the ruin all around him. The immediate area was mostly empty, of the living at least. They'd made it back behind the Aquarian forward lines, close enough to the city to smell the burning husks of the runological weapons.

They needed to get the hell out of dodge. But where to go? They couldn't just walk back to Aquaria without an explanation. Cliff shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Mirage was back in Aquios. Couldn't be helped. They'd just have to regroup somewhere else. Time to get moving.

He glanced at the… bluenette. Hmm, had a nice ring to it. Better trademark that. Cliff glanced at the bluenette™. Fayt was face down on the ground, right where he'd left him. No way he would be up and moving under his own power. Of course that wouldn't be a problem for a big strong man such as himself. Not only that but he was a Klausian. And a prime example of one to boot.

A flash of red caught his attention and cut his impromptu pep talk short.

He turned.

Nel. Pale faced. Green eyes wide.

She was staring at them. No. Not them. Fayt.

Well, shit.

Who knew how she would react? Nel was a comrade. He'd go as far as to call her a friend. But after what she'd just seen… Were they too dangerous to let go? She'd promised to kill them if that's what it took to protect Aquaria. A lot had happened since then. But how could anyone witness that display of power and not see a threat?

In the back of his mind, he'd always known he might have to fight her, kill her, if their missions came into conflict. And he knew he could. Not an easy fight but the odds were definitely in his favor. Fighting Vox had taken a lot out of both of them. Nel had had the roughest time of it. She'd relied heavily on her magic both fighting at a distance and supporting him and Fayt.

Of course, after seeing Fayt's not-so-little stunt she'd be on her guard. Still, she had no idea what the upper limits of a Klausian were in either strength or stamina.

He bent his knees, just enough. Shifted his weight without being too obvious.

Nel rushed forward, making a beeline towards Fayt's prone form. Cliff cursed. Straight for the target. He tried to intercept but Nel was going all out. He was going to be a half second behind. She crouched over Fayt, reaching out slowly.

Cliff raised a fist.

Then something in her body language made him pause. Maybe it was the way she hesitated before touching Fayt, like she was scared of what she'd find.

But he had a hunch.

He skidded to a stop, hands lowered but ready. Nel had already rolled Fayt onto his back, laying his head in her lap. The naked concern on her face made Cliff feel more than a little guilty. (He'd meant for that first blow to end it.) But he wasn't about to lower his guard just yet.

Even his hunches were only 99% accurate.

Nel laid a hand on his forehead, closed her eyes. "He's alive." But her voice was so low he wondered if she wasn't just reassuring herself. A familiar green glow enveloped her hands. The energy pulsed then slowly faded from view. When Fayt didn't respond, she frowned. "We need to get him inside."

"Just what I was thinking." Except by "inside" he'd been thinking "the hell off this rock". Now was not the time for _that_ conversation. If they had any luck (all signs pointed to no) that conversation would never take place.

Cliff scooped up Fayt, armor and all, easily. "You go on ahead." He tried to sound nonchalant and didn't come close. He'd hoped she'd take the bait and give him some room to think of his next move. With both armies in chaos there had to be other places for her to be.

Only Nel didn't go on ahead of them, choosing instead to lead the way. Truth be told her staying close wasn't a bad thing. If they ran across any hostiles, as unlikely as it was, he'd have to drop the kid in order to fight them off.

So he made his way to the mansion in the center of town, dreading every step. Soon there were going to be a lot of people demanding answers. Most likely, Nel would be leading the charge.

* * *

A/N: Anyone interested in reading more? Did Cliff's perspective feel like he was in character? I had another chapter in mind through a different perspective. Any guesses on the perspective I plan to use?


	2. Those Who Watch

End of Time Series: Here There Be Dragons

Chapter 2: Those Who Watch

A/N: I want thank those that reviewed. I appreciate any feedback but I especially appreciate thoughtful reviews. I do want to address the concerns about Cliff, Vox, and Nel from last chapter. They were valid concerns. I'm going to write the characters a little differently than others.

I don't think I really powered up Vox. In the game you fight him 3 on 1 and you don't finish him, the Vendeeni do. Then there is his "true power" in the bonus dungeon (take that with a grain of salt).

As for Nel, some people are going to think she should be more powerful. But I stand by my decision. I try not to portray her as weak, but not invincible. She _is_ fragile. She has lower hit points, lower base defense, and wears lighter armor. And from Cliff's PoV (having super strength and stamina) she is physically weaker.

Btw, I don't portray Cliff as having the super speed he displayed against Norton (dodging actual bullets). This is because if he is that fast (and his reflexes/mind work that fast) than no one in the game can touch him or Mirage. That also doesn't make sense considering Fayt has faster movement speed. So if he seems weaker, in a way he definitely is. But I also try to take into account how fighting with your fists against armored enemies would be difficult.

Lastly, Cliff's comment about the typical female ego was a mostly a joke, as opposed to the male ego. I wonder if Nel had said something sexist if anyone would complain. But it had more to do with Nel's pride. I imagine that as a commander she can't admit to being hurt or having doubts. Maria probably has the same problem, having to appear confident all the time because everyone expects you to set an example. I like that Fayt and Cliff aren't in Nel's chain of command, so their relationship with Nel is different. Nel might be great friends with Clair, Tynave, and Farleen, but they are all in the same military.

I say all that because I have a larger story in the works and some of those aspects will show up again. I hope that everyone who read the last chapter will give the next story a shot. Combat won't be the focus, but the fact that Nel leads the covert intelligence division and not a commando unit will reflect in how she approaches challenges and how I portray her as a whole.

And this was not beta'd but _was_ rushed. My apologies.

* * *

"Do you think they're alright?" Ameena sat on the bed in her modest room, back propped against the headboard, staring out the open window. Her tone had been more wistful than worried, her voice gentle. Of course, Ameena's voice was always gentle.

The young girl was concerned, had been since they'd left. Mirage could empathize. Sometimes waiting was harder than fighting. And after years spent on missions of her own and waiting for her friends' return, the waiting hadn't gotten any easier. The Klausian didn't respond immediately, weighing her words carefully. As much as she wanted to reassure the brunette, too much hope breeds false hope.

"I think so." She finally answered, deciding no hope was worse. "They can take care of themselves."

Mirage honestly believed that. She'd go as far to say she knew it for a fact. All the same, she hoped they didn't make her a liar.

"I hope Dion is safe."

Dion.

Right. Mirage almost winced at her own absentmindedness. Cliff, Fayt, and Nel, might have saved the brunette's life but she'd put that very life at risk to see Dion. Before she could respond, Ameena had turned her attention back to the window. Was it her way of keeping vigil? Did she expect to see her friend walking down the thoroughfare?

Mirage didn't know what the future had in store for Dion. She didn't know what the future had in store for anyone.

She tried not to worry about Cliff. He was a Klausian, highly trained and naturally gifted. But even Klausians had weaknesses, vulnerabilities. Mirage sighed. Cliff could handle _almost _anything that came his way. The problem was he thought he could handle _anything_ that came his way. She swore, sometimes the man honestly believed he was indestructible.

She should have insisted that she come along. But it was important she stay behind. Fayt had asked that she look after Ameena. While he was certainly worried over the sickly girl, all three of them knew that was just a cover for Nel's sake. Mirage was a better field medic than healer. If the girl's condition worsened there wasn't much she could do, not much anyone could do with this planet's resources.

Someone needed to keep trying to contact Quark if they ever wanted to go home. They couldn't very well take the long range transmitter into the middle of a warzone. As important a task as it was, it was a cold comfort.

At least Cliff wasn't off fighting by himself.

She couldn't say she knew Fayt well, Nel even less so. Cliff had tried to bring her up to speed.

Nel Zelpher, War Maiden of Aquaria, was a capable fighter. But a covert operative first and a warrior second. Though she had a talent for symbology, which was not taken for granted. She could also be stubborn on a good day and completely rigid on a bad one. Marietta would have called her mission oriented. By all accounts their red and blue haired companions had not gotten along at first. That was hard to believe. Nel was a realist, true. (The war must have ground her idealism down pretty far.) But she cared about others. She'd wasted no time getting the doctor for Ameena's sake. Her two companions had endeared themselves to Aquarian more than they realized, maybe more than Nel realized.

Then there was Fayt. The target. Their target.

Except Cliff hadn't referred to Fayt as their target in a long time, not since leaving Vanguard III. He really liked the kid, not that she blamed him. She liked the kid. There was something about him. When you spoke to him it was clear he was listening and not just waiting to talk. Definitely the most idealistic of the trio but he was young and a little too much idealism wasn't always a bad thing.

Maybe she was biased. She'd left her home and followed a younger Cliff into space because of those same qualities.

From Cliff's reports, Fayt could handle himself in a fight. Cliff's standards, much like her own, were high. He knew how to use a sword. Not completely unexpected, the Federation had trained troops on full-body battle simulators for over a century. Her father's dojo used them for training.

The big question about Fayt was how he was holding up mentally. Cliff said he was doing well. Fayt looked like he was keeping it together but everyone had their limit and the last few weeks had defied imagination. Galaxy-wide wars, primitive planets, hostile aliens, hostile natives, family and friends taken hostage, the list went on.

He'd had plenty of reservations about killing before they "landed" on Elicoor and without question he still did. But war changes people in a lot of ways, not all of them good. She'd fought in her share of battles. While most of them were space battles many were on the ground, face to face.

No one ever forgets their first kill.

The kid also had a capacity for symbology, without the need of actual symbols. Most people would have said that was strange, others patently impossible. They knew better. They'd expected it. That much at least was going according to plan.

It made her nervous as all hell.

She knew what Maria could do. For now, they had to assume Fayt's powers worked on the same scale. That wasn't a reassuring thought. What did they really know about his powers?

"Lady Mirage?" A young woman with long, almost golden brown hair, stood in the open doorway. She couldn't have been more than 17 and wore an unusual variation of the typical Aquarian uniform. She gave the blonde a deep and formal bow. "I was tasked to come find you. Lady Nel and your friends have returned", she finished politely, and somewhat breathlessly. "Please follow me."

* * *

The young girl walked just ahead of her, making her way (politely) through the crowd. It was quite the crowd. Mirage imagined the entire city was out on the streets tonight. Soldiers walked up and down the main road trying to keep the crowd from becoming a mob. A large group had gathered in front of the castle gates shouting at the guards, shouting at each other, shouting over each other. Six guards stood before the main gate, where normally there would be two.

Not a good sign.

They were slowly fighting, figuratively, their way through the crowd when one of the guards noticed them. More specifically, he noticed her guide, at least by uniform. Two of the guards moved forward and led them through the mass of citizens. Mirage suspected the brunette was a runologist. The girl didn't have the build of a fighter. She didn't_ appear_ to have the build of a fighter. She was a petite girl but so was Nel. Mirage hadn't noticed any symbols on the girl's skin but she was dressed more on the conservative side. Her outfit a cross between a standard runologist's robe and a dress, with a high wide collar.

As they made it through the gate she overheard a guard speaking to the girl. "Why aren't you with the others? They've gathered the wounded in the east wing, in the fabrication area."

Not just a runologist, but a healer.

Oh dear.

* * *

The young healer who had been sent to fetch her had shown her to the room. The brunette (she never bothered to get her name) had checked on Fayt, giving Mirage the distinct impression that it wasn't the first time nor she the first person to do so. Then she turned to Nel and shook her head quietly.

Mirage watched Fayt's still form. Unnaturally still. Face pale, his pulse steady but weak. "How long has he been this way?" She asked Cliff, voice low even for her. It was a stupid reaction but she couldn't help it. Fayt looked so completely exhausted, drained, some part of her feared waking him.

Surprisingly, Nel answered (the redhead had exceptional hearing) sitting on the bed opposite Fayt, not bothering to look at them. "Over a day. Since the celestial ship appeared."

Mirage shared a look with Cliff. Celestial ship?

Cliff motioned to the hallway. Mirage hesitated, worried about leaving Fayt alone and unguarded. Helpless. When she didn't immediately move to follow, Cliff got the message. He turned back. "Nel we're going to step outside. If your orders are to kill Fayt, now's the time."

The redhead shot him the coldest look Mirage had ever seen.

"Not funny." He sighed, "Sorry about that." Even Cliff thought the joke was in poor taste.

But they had to know, couldn't leave Fayt without being sure.

They quietly made their exit.

"You're surprising calm about this." She remarked, only after the door was shut.

Cliff shrugged his shoulders as if there was no point worrying about things you couldn't change. Things like the Vendeeni having found their location or the possibility of another ship showing up any minute. Or like having received no word from their own people.

He didn't answer, so Mirage pressed on. "Maria wasn't unconscious for this long." Cliff was staring at the closed door, trying to see through it. "Cliff what is it?"

"That kind of power…it shouldn't exist."

That was the last thing she expected to hear. Cliff had never said it outright, but his ultimate goal was to recruit Fayt to their cause. While Maria's interests ran deeper, and even though she was Maria's closest confident she couldn't say how deep, their mission had started as a means to keep a dangerous weapon out of the Federation's hands. "Was it that bad?"

"Ask Nel, I'm surprised she wasn't struck blind."

It took a moment for his comment to click. Elicoorians, or at least some of them, could see symbological currents. It must have been quite the display of power.

"So, what's the plan?"

He crossed his arms, mouth set in a grim line. "We say nothing, hold tight, and hope backup arrives."

He was worried. Sitting and waiting wasn't Cliff's style. He was proactive whenever possible, as much as possible.

But for the moment, they were out of options. All they could do was hope, hope that Fayt woke, hope that Quark reached them before the Vendeeni did. Mirage could imagine the fallout, especially if Fayt _didn't_ regain consciousness.

_Maria. Funny story. Remember the target we were sent to bring in? You do? Good. One thing led to another and we dragged him into the decisive battle on a war torn continent. Why you ask? That's a very long and very complicated story… Anyway, then the Vendeeni showed up. _

Better let Cliff put a positive spin on that explanation. She'd focus on grabbing Maria's gun before it cleared the holster.

Cliff uncrossed his arms and looked at something behind her. Mirage turned to find one of the castle guards walking directly towards them. "Excuse me." He bowed. "Lady Nel asked to be kept informed of Dion's condition." The two Klausians stepped apart. The guard quickly opened the door to Fayt's room and disappeared inside, not bothering to close it behind him.

The guard had known to find her here.

"Has she been-"

Cliff didn't need her to finish. "Yep. Ever since we got back."

Mirage sighed. Getting Fayt out of the castle was going to be much more difficult. Difficult if he woke up, impossible if he didn't. It looked like they had no choice but to trust Nel, for now. It was kind of funny, Nel was the spy and they were ones keeping secrets. Secrets that could change the world, or at least their view of it.

…once all those cards were on the table, they might have to fight their way out.

Cliff noticed her growing frown. "He'll be fine. He's a tough kid." He put a hand on her shoulder. "After all, with the Vendeeni showing up and all the crap I gave him about the UP3… he gets to say 'I told you so.' "

* * *

A/N: Mirage was a challenge to write. Almost too much of a blank slate, I might have gotten OOC when it came to the humor elements. I actually had a different PoV in mind for this chapter. I intend to finish that PoV but it's extremely awkward to write and once I upload that chapter…there's no going back. In the meantime I picked Mirage because she has the chance to observe our favorite trio and has a lot of background info on the situation.


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